Decorating Easter Eggs

You may want to do this Easter activity at least 2 weeks before Easter so the "hair" has an adequate amount of time to grow.

Items needed:

Raw eggs

A nail or needle to make a hole in the eggs

An egg carton or a small square of cardboard for each egg

Tempera paint or permanent markers

A spoon

Grass seed

Potting soil

Wiggly eyes (optional)

(If you use wiggly eyes instead of paint or marker, you'll also need a hot glue gun or another fast-drying glue.)

Directions: First, use the nail or needle to create a hole approximately the size of a quarter in one end of the egg.

Drain the eggs and clean them well by rinsing them out. Dry the eggshells very gently. You can glue a square of cardboard to the eggshell bottoms so that they stand on their own, or you can just use an egg carton if you prefer.

Next, it's time for decorating! Place the eyes using glue (if using wiggly eyes). Using paint or markers, help your children create faces on each of the eggs. Get creative with features like glasses or "makeup" and don't forget the ears! Let the paint, glue and/or marker dry completely.

Once they're dry, spoon some potting soil into the eggshells, filling them a bit more than halfway. Add grass seed and sprinkle a little more soil on top. Don't forget to add a little water to encourage the seeds to grow. Place the eggs in a sunny spot and watch as the seeds sprout and the head of hair grows.

After the egg people have lots of green hair, let your children style the hair using small bows, tiny hair accessories and/or rubber bands. Mohawks and ponytails are fun to create, and your children can let their imaginations go wild!